Lake Issues. Other Voices.

Economics Lesson

Schools Face Up To Hard Times

April 24, 1994

"When the schools get crowded from new developments, the burden is on the builders to kick in the money it takes for expansion. Residents also need to share some of the responsibility for schools." - Connie Lambke, Lake Villa, co-owner of We the People Business Center, Round Lake Beach

"Grayslake population was 7,388 after the 1990 census. We just did a recount that shows 11,293 people, and we expect to reach 18,000 to 22,000 people by the end of the century." - Michael Ellis, Grayslake village manager

"Traffic, taxes and diminished quality of life are the price Lake Countians will pay for growth. There's only one thing that causes new taxes, and that's people. New development costs far more than it generates in revenue." - F.T. Mike Graham, Libertyville, open-lands advocate

"This school district has spent a lot of time dealing with growth. We are growing so fast that each year the district has to hire about 20 new members." - Dennis Conti, superintendent, Gurnee School District 56